February 15-19

Please go to Module 3 (Recognizing Opportunities). We discussed the difference between idea generation and recognizing opportunities. Ideas are creative and innovative.  Opportunities take that one step further and ensure that it provides economic value to the entrepreneur.

We discussed different ways we can measure the value of an opportunity and the attractiveness of the industry in which the product/service is placed.

We went step by step through the process of conducting research including using the BMCC database to assess if the industry is attractive.

By Sunday, Feb 17, please complete the readings on Module 3 and based on that respond to Module 3-DQ1 and Module 3-DQ2

By Tuesday, Feb 19 please complete IA2 (Industry Research) and bring a fully finished assignment to class. Use the model paper as a resource. Please ensure that you have added the references for your research sources using APA format.

Finally, please ensure that your Google doc with the team idea is complete and shared with Prof. Palit ([email protected])

February 7 -14

This coming week, we will do a brief review what we did last week and then move to Module 3 which is Recognizing Opportunity.

To summarize, we have looked at two main topics

1. What is entrepreneurship?
2. How do we generate ideas?

We have looked at the characteristics of an entrepreneur; considered the method that entrepreneurs use.  I would like to discuss the mindset of an

entrepreneur — or the types of attitudes they have.  Take about 20 minutes to complete the survey to see what is your mindset?

https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/MindsetGSP2017

If you have not completed the assignments for Module 2, please complete before coming to class on Thu, Feb  14. This includes:

1. Create the right side bar on your wordpress blog following the design of the class blog. I have explained below how to find a theme that has a right-side-bar. On the right side bar include your course project assignments (not the modules).
2. Complete the readings and based on the readings complete Module 2-DQ1 and Module 2-DQ2 by Sunday night.
3. Complete the Module 1 Survey that helps you develop a plan for this class. http://www.surveygizmo.com/s3/1003126/Distance-Learning-Contingency-Plan
4. Add the first assignment (idea for product/service) on a Google doc and share with your team members as well as me. Follow the model paper to make sure that it is formatted correctly.  If you are not on a team, please reach out to me ASAP.

 

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BMCC is closed on Tue, Feb 12 for Lincoln’s Birthday.  We will not have class.

On this Announcement page, the most current class information is on the top.

Thu, Feb 7 

Continue with Module 2

• Check that your blog has a theme that allows you to add a menu to the right hand bar with each of the assignments that are included under the Course Project. A couple of students have created their blog using this structure.
• If you go to https://wordpress.org/themes/tags/right-sidebar/ you will see many examples of themes with right side bar. Please choose a theme that is free and you do not pay for. See how the assignments are placed on the right side bar at: https://rachelduurlooproducts.wordpress.com/
• You can customize your blog with pictures and texts to convey the feeling that you want to express
• Check that your blog is added to the SBE100-Blog links page
• Check that you can see your grades on the Blackboard site for this class
• Check that your team project is on a google document that is shared with your team members as well as Prof. Palit ([email protected])
• Download your free textbook and read Chapter 1 – this is your primary reading for this week
• Read the Secondary Reading on Social Entrepreneurship and watch again the video by Saras Saraswathy
• Based on the Primary and Secondary readings complete DQ1 and DQ2 for Module 2.  You can go to the Discussion Questions by going to the tab on the top of the class site which says “Discussion Questions” — if you are not able to add your responses to the discussion questions such as the Bio, Module 2-DQ1 and Module2-DQ2, it could be because you missed the first class where students signed up with their BMCC student email and registered for the website. Please do that first – the Register tab is on the top right of the page.

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Module 2 – What is Entrepreneurship

On Tue, Feb 5, students shared in teams their ideas. The professor recommended that it would be better for this class to have ideas that could be marketed to end-users rather than organizations. Based on the discussions the following ideas were chosen:

Team 1: Washer/Dryer

Gregory Dickerson, Sophia, Orlando Fonesca, Layden, Randy

Team 2: Hair Care

Veronica Asmah, Rosalina Ramirez, Beyonce Dalhouse, Amaris Roman

Team 3: Computerized Iron

Robert Brown, Wander Marte, Naomi Liranzo, Neikko Graves

Team 4: Jeans/Restaurant

Rachel Durloo, Marwan Abdulla, Cheryl Vuong, Sokhna Diouf, Lexi Boateng

The class discussed the characteristics of an entrepreneur.

Assignments:

A. Based on the reading (Chapter 1 of your e-book), and your secondary readings, please complete the two Discussion Questions for Module 2 for Thu, Feb 7.

B. Based on your team idea that you will work on during this semester, each team was asked to create a Google document where they would write out their idea in a Problem – Solution format.  Also due on Thu, Feb 7.  A team leader was chosen for creating a google document. The team leader will share the Google doc with all members of the team, and also with the professor ([email protected]).

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Welcome

Welcome to a new semester at BMCC and especially to this introductory course on Small Business & Entrepreneurship (SBE 100). You can call me Dr. Palit, and I will be your guide for this semester. You can email me at [email protected] if you have any questions. Just a word of caution — please always add the words SBE100-140W on the subject head of your email. This way it gets saved to a special folder and is not likely to be buried among the many emails that I receive.  I keep the class folder on the top of my other Outlook folders so that I don’t miss your email. Could you do the same? Find a way that all emails coming from me are visible and easy to find in your email folders.

Why this class?

For me, business is about adventure: seeking the pot of gold at the end of the rainbow. It is about creating wealth and building organizations that make our society strong and our people prosperous. For me, those who best epitomize these qualities and therefore deserve our greatest respect, are entrepreneurs. The stories of Mark Zuckerberg, the founder of Facebook or Larry Page and Sergey Brin who founded Google to become billionaires by the age of 31, are legendary.

But perhaps you have not heard of Dr. V who has provided vision to hundreds of thousands of people or Professor Yunus who has built a bank that provides loans to landless villagers. These stories seem to suggest that nothing is impossible if we only dare to dream, have goals, and work hard to reach them.

Entrepreneurship is a fascinating topic. It compels us to ask what special qualities did these people have that have allowed them to have such a huge impact on our world. Are people born with these qualities of entrepreneurship or can they be trained to be an entrepreneur? What is the focus of an entrepreneur? Is it to create a profitable enterprise or could it also be to revolutionize society? Is there a roadmap to be a successful entrepreneur?

My innate respect for the quality of entrepreneurship had me join a group of friends who had started their own software development company in 1999. The company was very successful for a while but the economy and certain management issues took its toll and it closed in 2003.

I hope I will be able to pass on to you some of the lessons that I learned while working for this entrepreneurial organization and also from my years as a marketing researcher working for many large corporations. I have a new love in the area of entrepreneurship and that is the role of entrepreneurs in alleviating society’s problems. Please read about some of the young social entrepreneurs under 30 who are doing impressive work around the world. It is fascinating, to say the least.

On the personal front, I love to travel and in the last few years have visited many different countries Australia, Russia, Spain, Indonesia, Czech Republic, Slovakia, Malaysia, Myanmar, Guatemala, Croatia, Turkey, Italy, Malta, Greece, Montenegro, and China. BMCC is one of the most diverse colleges in the US. It is a great experience for me to find students from so many different countries in my classroom. It is like virtual travel!

How do we learn in this class?

There are three basic modes of learning in this class. One, that requires you to work individually, and the second two that requires you to work individually but also with others. You will complete Individual Assignments and send them to me for review and feedback every alternate week.  Together, as a class, you will learn from each other (as well as me) through Discussion Questions related to many topics on entrepreneurship. These are not mere opinions; they are thoughtful discussions based on readings, and require you to provide feedback to others responses, as well. You will also learn from each other through Review Assignments. Just a quick tip for those who want to do well in this class.  Engagement with the discussion questions differentiates top-performers from those who do so-so.

How do we get to know our classmates?

In the first week we would like to get to know each other better and also clarify our expectations from this course. So kindly join the thread that I have set up on the discussion board under the forum chat and give us a short bio — tell us about where you are from, your work experience, if any, what are your other interests and what you hope to get out of this class. [The tab to go to the discussion board is on the top – it is called “Discussion”]

Which textbook do we need for this class?

YOU DO NOT HAVE TO BUY A TEXTBOOK FOR THIS CLASS. THIS IS AN OPEN EDUCATION RESOURCE CLASS THAT IS TRYING TO REDUCE COST OF TEXTBOOKS FOR CUNY STUDENTS.  YOU WILL FIND AN E-BOOK TITLED ‘STARTUP SMART: A HANDBOOK FOR ENTREPRENEURS’ for you to download and/or print under the tab labeled ‘Book’ on the left. It is free from copyrights and, therefore, possible for you to download.

How to start?

We will begin our readings and assignments in full swing from the start. There are 15 modules in this course.  You will find the Course Syllabus under Module 1: Introduction.

Print and review the syllabus and then complete this online survey Completion of the online survey will ensure that you understand what is required of you, and also your plan to succeed in this course.

Looking forward to getting to know all of you. Please go to the link labeled ‘Discussion Questions’ (DQ) and respond to the first DQ to introduce yourself and submit your bio. Set up a profile picture so that I can recognize you if I meet you in person.